July 2022 saw record breaking temperatures across the UK, peaking at 40.3C in England, resulting in the driest summer for 50 years.
Drought was officially declared in eight regions: Devon and Cornwall, Solent and South Downs, Kent and South London, Hertfordshire and North London, East Anglia, Thames, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, and east Midlands.
With the ground scorched dry, wildfires became a significant risk, with the London fire brigade having its busiest day since WWII.
